Potential beneficial effects of wine flavonoids on allergic diseases

An Open access article in the journal Diseases reviews current evidence on the beneficial effect of wine flavonoids on allergic diseases.
Wine comprises several biophenols that promote health. Flavonoids, majorly present in red wine, have been shown to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and immunomodulatory activities. Regular consumption of red wine (100 mL/day) is estimated to provide an average of 88 mg of flavonoids, whereas recent epidemiological studies indicate that wine is one of the major sources of flavonoid intake amongst wine lovers in European countries (providing an average intake of 291-374 mg/day of flavonoids). In addition to being antioxidants, in vitro studies suggest that flavonoids also have anti-allergic activities that inhibit Immunoglobulin E synthesis, activation
of mast cells and basophils or other inflammatory cells, and production of inflammatory mediators, including cytokines. Furthermore, they affect the differentiation of naïve CD4+ T cells into effector T cell subsets. Moreover, several studies have reported the benefits of flavonoids in allergic models such as atopic dermatitis, asthma, anaphylaxis, and food allergy; however, evidence in humans is limited to allergic rhinitis and respiratory allergy. Although further evaluation is required, the authors state that it is expected that an appropriate intake of flavonoids may be beneficial in preventing, and eventually managing, allergic diseases.
Source: Potential Beneficial Effects of Wine Flavonoids on Allergic Diseases. Tanaka T, Iuchi A, Harad H, Hashimoto S. Diseases. 2019 Jan 15;7(1). pii: E8.